Abstract Simulation and gamification offer valuable pedagogical approaches, providing safe environments for dental students to practice complex professional skills. Developing clinical reasoning is crucial as students perform irreversible procedures early in their training. Traditional methods may offer limited opportunities to experience decision consequences without risking patient harm. Simulation based learning in a branching scenario (BrSc) format, that incorporates gamification and productive failure (Kapur, 2008), bridges the gap between preclinical theory and clinical practice, addressing the need for engaging, relevant learning experiences (ASE Strategy). This project aligns with the University's ASE Strategy, 'A curriculum defined by quality and relevance' through innovative, inquiry-based learning and authentic assessment, and 'Environments and systems that enable innovation' by leveraging digital technologies. This presentation details the design, implementation, and preliminary evaluation of a gamified BrSc developed to support clinical reasoning and understanding decision consequences for second-year dental and oral health students managing atypical dental pain. Informed by a validated serious gaming model (Argueta-Muñoz, 2023) and based on an authentic patient case, the BrSc was designed as an interactive narrative where student choices determine progression through multiple pathways. Key gamified features included 17 strategically placed 'learning points' representing common clinical errors, branching pathways with unique information and a dashboard for tracking progress. The design supported productive failure, allowing students to navigate suboptimal pathways discovering learning points which provided tailored feedback prompting them to revisit decisions. A Design-Based Research (DBR) approach guided the project, emphasising iterative design and evaluation in a real-world classroom setting. A survey platform (Qualtrics) was selected for development due to its branching logic capabilities, built-in reporting for learning analytics, and low technical barrier to entry. Evaluation data included learning analytics automatically captured by the platform (tracking pathway choices, attempts, time, learning points unlocked), direct classroom observations of student engagement and interaction patterns (individual vs. collaborative), and qualitative feedback from students. Preliminary results from implementation with 149 students (775 attempts) indicate the gamified BrSc fostered high engagement. The gamified 'learning point' tracking appeared effective; classroom observations showed students, particularly when working collaboratively after an initial individual attempt, actively discussed pathways and were motivated to explore different options, including incorrect paths, to 'unlock' all points. Learning analytics provided valuable insights for educators, visualising common decision pathways via Sankey diagrams and identifying specific points of difficulty, informing potential teaching interventions (ASE Strategy: Use of analytics to support the student experience). Student feedback directly informed iterative improvements, such as adding skip functionality for previously completed sections. The tool facilitated peer learning and discussion, contributing to 'A community in which This work demonstrates how survey platforms can be effectively repurposed to create sophisticated, gamified BrSc for complex skill development. It offers insights into specific gamification design choices and their observed effects on student engagement and learning behaviour. It highlights the utility of learning analytics for informing educational practice and curriculum refinement, supporting evidence-based teaching (ASE Strategy: Valuing excellence in education). A brief demonstration of the branching scenario's gamified elements, discussion of the design decisions and challenges, and posing a reflective question: "How might the principles of gamified feedback and pathway exploration be adapted using technologies within your own teaching context to enhance student learning through simulation?" References Argueta-Muñoz FD, Olvera-Cortés HE, Durán-Cárdenas C, Hernández-Gutiérrez L, Gutierrez-Barreto SE. Instructional design and its usability for branching model as an educational strategy. Cureus [Internet]. 2023 May 18 [cited 2023 Sep 5];15(5). Available from: https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=18f651fd-54f2-316d-8038-e6d44d4b1e4c Kapur M. Productive failure. Cogn Instr [Internet]. 2008 Jul 1 [cited 2023 Sep 4];26(3):379–425. Available from: https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=80f6be87-d06d-3d8b-9aa7-f03a246ed424 White, M., Dal Santo, K., Copley, J., Mustchin, C., and Jones, B. (2024). Designing branching scenarios to support clinical reasoning in dental education. In Cochrane, T., Narayan, V., Bone, E., Deneen, C., Saligari, M., Tregloan, K., Vanderburg, R. (Eds.), Navigating the Terrain: Emerging frontiers in learning spaces, pedagogies, and technologies. Proceedings ASCILITE 2024. Melbourne (pp. 415-419). https://doi.org/10.14742/apubs.2024.1150
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